This is very interesting coming from an Arab guy. But the fact of the matter is, it's just the way shit is in this part of the world. everything's ok for a man. always has been, hopefully not for long. what goes for you goes for me. and don't go name-calling after. but seriously, can anyone out there hear me? the problem is not in doing what we do.. it's in being judged for it. i wont change my life, but you should definatly change the way you think.

this is so Rip Van Winkle. time to wake up.

P.S. i'm not attacking You of course, i'm just pissed of right now :P
good one though. top

@ Luna Piena

Thanks for stopping by and taking time to comment.

I do agree with you that it's 'ok' for a man to do everything he desires as long as he is not getting his folks 'ashamed' e.g. being homosexual.
What surprise me is, sometimes mothers who suffered from oppression by their husbands, fathers or brothers, they discriminate between their own children. Should they be getting even by not discriminating against their daughters.

Weird.

RnD top

thats a different issue alltogether, and definately deeper. but how do you think they would discriminate between their sons? Mothers would not want their boys to turn out like their opressing fathers/husbands... but they seem to give in and accept it thinking its in their genes. i also doubt they'd want their daughters living too freely just because of what they've been through. although, they would make the girls life easier than theirs was. hopefully. top

i knew you're an original young man. good post, and halleluiah:) top

At this point in my life it's very difficult giving you a stright answer without sounding like a hypocrite (to myself at least).
It is wrong and it should be changed, this I have the guts at least to say. The burden we carry on our shoulders is much heavier than mere religious legacy. We need to shed so many layers, one at a time... but we should never stop. top

Thank Abu Fares and I go agree you with.. if is like peeling an onion... you can't peel it all as whole at once.. one layer at a time.. till the esence is out flourishing...

RnD top

Thank you for your comment on my latest post.

You might like to check out the good writings of Ashtar, a Palestinian who lives in Cairo (http://orientaleve.blogspot.com/).She and the commentators hold interesting views on your topic.

My take on the issue is that today, a lot of families in our region (I think I mean the generally more liberal countries: Syria/Lebanon/Jordan/Palestine)are feeling a little more relaxed about sexuality. but parents still feel terrified of being "shamed", ostracised or ridiculed by their community; what would our relatives think? What would the neighbours think?..etc. Mothers worry that their daughters will have less choice in who they marry if they "misbehave".

However, education and the trend towards smaller families, migration from rural areas to the city and girls having to go out to work and earn a living to support the family (and in the process gain some material and psychological independence) do, over time, change society and attitudes. Wars too have a huge effect on women and family attutide out of necessity- not that anyone should wish for wars. top

Lovely topic. Good for you. Keep thinking, keep questioning. Change begins one person at a time. top

You are right in your observation, there is discrimination towards girls in Middle Eastern societies concerning sex life issues, but I do think that this is just the surface of the real problem of our societies. In my opinion, the real issue is that in such conservative societies, everyone is obliged to play the role that is imposed on him by the society, so it is okay that Men are promiscuous but women should not, on the same line, as you mentioned, being a gay in such society is as shameful as a non-virgin girl (assuming my reader believes that being gay is just a matter of variation and not of disease) in addition Men are forbade from showing emotion, and little boys should always be like their fathers. As for the Mother children relationship, I think that this is a very good point, I will write my view on it in a separate post soon, since it requires some space and time ;)

Cheers!

P.S: very cool template by the way top

@ Philip I

Thanks for the link, and your comment says exactly what I had in mind.

@ Zed

Thanks for stopping by and taking time to write.

@ Andre

100% correct about the gay bit... and I will be waiting for your post..

RnD top

when i was 15 years old, my big problem was angry to God because he created me as a girl not boy, not because of that thing which Segmond freud talked about that boy has something i don t have or (penis envy) noo, because it s allowed to the boy to do whatever he wishs and not allowed to the girl even to play outside with friends, this is one of a hundreds of things which boy enjoy with and girl no, but what to do with the past, nothing, now i always tell myself, thanx God you created me a girl which equal ten boys, with humbleness ;-) top